The following background discussion is not an admission that anything discussed below is citable as prior art or common general knowledge. The documents listed below are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference to them.
Capsules for use in machines to prepare a desired consumable product are becoming increasingly popular. Such capsules come in a variety of formats containing ingredients for producing consumable products such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate or soup.
Capsule machines typically include an injection system for injecting a fluid, such as hot water, into a capsule for mixing with ingredients disposed within the capsule to prepare a desired consumable product. A dispensing system may also be provided to dispense the prepared product from the capsule for delivery to a receptacle such as a user's cup or bowl.
A problem with conventional capsules is that it can be difficult to control the manner in which ingredients are exposed to fluid that is injected into the capsule. It may be desirable for example for certain ingredients to be mixed with fluid within the capsule for a longer period of time than other ingredients. It may also be desirable for certain ingredients to be separated from other ingredients within the capsule prior to, or for a desired period following, injection of fluid into the capsule.
Another problem with conventional capsules is that the fluid injected into the capsule may form one or more channels through the ingredients contained within the capsule along one or more axes of injection. This can result in fluid being dispensed from the capsule prior to adequately mixing with ingredients. Furthermore, some ingredients may not be sufficiently saturated with fluid to optimize the preparation of the desired product.
It is known to provide permanent structural elements within a capsule to manage the flow of fluid that is injected into the capsule. A problem with permanent structural elements is that they add to the cost and complexity of manufacturing the capsule. Permanent structural elements may also occupy space within the capsule which may be better utilized for other purposes.
It is desirable on occasion that a dosing agent, such as a flavoring component, is added to the capsule to produce a desired consumable product. Dosing agents are typically mixed with ingredients in large totes prior to loading the mixture into capsules.
A problem with this system is that a large number of totes are required in order to have an inventory of different mixtures to produce a desired batch of capsules. Alternatively, if only one or a few totes were available, the tote or totes need to be thoroughly cleaned after each use to prevent mixing of dosing agents.
There is a need for an improved capsule and an improved system and process for making capsules with a desired dosing agent.